moisture tester

[The Mad Brewer]

Anyone have recommendations of tool for checking moisture tester for malting grains?

 

[day_trippr]

No recommendations, but I was thinking "We have moisture meters for wood, how hard could grain testing be?"
Had to take a peek and there sure are a lot of options in that space - many of them surprisingly pricey!

https://www.amazon.com/Grain-Moisture-Tester/s?k=Grain+Moisture+Tester
Cheers! (and good luck!)

 

[grampamark]

I’m a grain farmer. We use this one. We’re on our second one; the first lasted about a dozen years. It was replaced last year and the new one was about $100 less than the current price.

We like that particular one because it’s programmable to be able to test almost any crop. Most testers, especially the less expensive models, will only test the most widely grown crops, like corn, soybeans, and wheat. Grain moisture testers are fussy. They have to be configured to the particular characteristics of a particular seed type. Since barley isn’t a very widely grown crop, many testers aren’t calibrated for barley.

All of that said, unless the OP is malting his own, there’s no good reason to test the moisture content of malted grains. The kilning phase of the malting process removes almost all of the moisture from the grain.

 

[bracconiere]

Anyone have recommendations of tool for checking moisture tester for malting grains?

All of that said, unless the OP is malting his own, there’s no good reason to test the moisture content of malted grains. The kilning phase of the malting process removes almost all of the moisture from the grain.

if you are malting, just using your eyeball is good enough to keep it wet....and yeah 12 hours in the oven at 160f-200f, dries it out pretty thoroughly.....(after air drying at room temp of course)

 

[grampamark]

if you are malting, just using your eyeball is good enough to keep it wet....and yeah 12 hours in the oven at 160f-200f, dries it out pretty thoroughly.....(after air drying at room temp of course)

There are probably testers designed specifically for the malting industry but the cost would be prohibitive for homebrewers. And, since the type of testers in the Amazon link are intended for use on the farm, they only display results within a narrow range which corresponds to the range within which grain can be stored safely. Those won’t display a reading above or below that range. When soaking the grain, prior to germination, the moisture content would probably be out of range for the farm use testers.

 

[bracconiere]

When soaking the grain, prior to germination, the moisture content would probably be out of range for the farm use testers.

good point, and as far as drying before kilning to lock the enzymes. i find just air drying with a box fan until the kernels are firm, usually 24 hours with a box fan, is good enough and works...

 

[The Mad Brewer]

good point, and as far as drying before kilning to lock the enzymes. i find just air drying with a box fan until the kernels are firm, usually 24 hours with a box fan, is good enough and works...

Do you do anything after 24 hours? up the temp for a few hours? Toast them? Im working on building a drying rack but if my batch im malting now is ready before i have something I may have to use my dehydrator which only goes down to 95F

 

[The Mad Brewer]

good point, and as far as drying before kilning to lock the enzymes. i find just air drying with a box fan until the kernels are firm, usually 24 hours with a box fan, is good enough and works...

Also is your racks stackable, how easy is it to get grains off it when dry?

 

[bracconiere]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/353972738967?hash=item526a6b5b97:g:q14AAOSwcGpiOsRK

after drying i put it in the oven at the lowest setting. i also used a resistor and toggle switch so that the oven will go down to 90f, but that isn't nessesary per se.

just leave it in the oven at 170f until turns off automatically, 12 hours...

sorry for the bad photos. that's a 20lb batch of malt.

 

[bracconiere]

Also is your racks stackable, how easy is it to get grains off it when dry?

pretty easy i just take the oven rack and drop it next to them, then put the SS screen basket on top, scoop into it then carry it to the oven...

 

[The Mad Brewer]

View attachment 766219

https://www.ebay.com/itm/353972738967?hash=item526a6b5b97:g:q14AAOSwcGpiOsRK
View attachment 766220

after drying i put it in the oven at the lowest setting. i also used a resistor and toggle switch so that the oven will go down to 90f, but that isn't nessesary per se.

just leave it in the oven at 170f until turns off automatically, 12 hours...

sorry for the bad photos. that's a 20lb batch of malt.

So 24hrs at room temp, 170 for another 12hrs?

Also how do you get the grains off the SS rack for the oven?

 

[The Mad Brewer]

View attachment 766219

https://www.ebay.com/itm/353972738967?hash=item526a6b5b97:g:q14AAOSwcGpiOsRK
View attachment 766220

after drying i put it in the oven at the lowest setting. i also used a resistor and toggle switch so that the oven will go down to 90f, but that isn't nessesary per se.

just leave it in the oven at 170f until turns off automatically, 12 hours...

sorry for the bad photos. that's a 20lb batch of malt.

also because im inherently cheap (racks online for like 3 are 60-8$$) I will probably build something like pic with scraps I have laying around, im not a hoarder but a re-purposer HAHA, just not this big

 

[bracconiere]

So 24hrs at room temp, 170 for another 12hrs?

Also how do you get the grains off the SS rack for the oven?

you need the air flow at room temp also to dry them...

i dump the SS basket into a storage tote...then deculm using two of them in front of a box fan....

 

[bracconiere]

going to be hard if you can't take the top ones off as you unload them....

probably be nice if you cut a 'V' in the top of the legs, and a wedge in the bottom....

 

[The Mad Brewer]

going to be hard if you can't take the top ones off as you unload them....

probably be nice if you cut a 'V' in the top of the legs, and a wedge in the bottom....

Im going to build the rack stand, then make the screens and frames separate so they slide in n out, atleast thats the plan.

 

[bracconiere]

Im going to build the rack stand, then make the screens and frames separate so they slide in n out, atleast thats the plan.

ah sounds like you'll get the hang of it! (i'd make rectangles and not square, so that there's more length for the box fan to blow over)

 

[The Mad Brewer]

ah sounds like you'll get the hang of it! (i'd make rectangles and not square, so that there's more length for the box fan to blow over)

That is the plan, I am going to cover the sides to keep air flow going thru, I m determined to keep it under $20. I m going to have to rob from peter to pay Paul as it were.... have to steal some 2x4's from the garage shelving to finish it and replace them with OSB.....

Side note I just tasted my brown ale and its better that my last 2 brews (also was 99.9% oats =with a bit of wheat), I don't think I was waiting long enough on the germinating. Its still not a brew like if I bought my grains already malted or from a kit, but I would have never learned all that I have so far. So next is to go low an slow on the kilning. Its gonna be a wheat, getting ready for spring.

Im getting barley right now for about .36 cents a pd. Also have some planted so hopefully I will have enough to carry me thru until next year.

I feel like Im reedy to get my Yellow belt in or what ever is one up from beginner

 

[bracconiere]

I feel like Im reedy to get my Yellow belt in or what ever is one up from beginner

you're way beyond a 'yella'....definetly brown or purple! i'm still working on my one notch black belt, and figure out how to use koji mold....

 

[The Mad Brewer]

Here is sort of the finished product not sure what I'm gonna do about the sides. Not perfect but cost me about 15 bucks using up scrap what I had. Little heavier than I wanted. You can see my keeezer in the background. And MyBrown ale which is a lot cloudier which is probably because I didn't use barley. And some grains germinating in the background.

 

[bracconiere]

Here is sort of the finished product not sure what I'm gonna do about the sides. Not perfect but cost me about 15 bucks using up scrap what I had. Little heavier than I wanted. You can see my keeezer in the background. And MyBrown ale which is a lot cloudier which is probably because I didn't use barley. And some grains germinating in the background.

looks big enough for a 40lb batch! might have to stack two box fans on top of each other with a bungie cord....

be sure to report back on it's performance, gotta get my last batch on the drying rack now myself.....

 

[bracconiere]

Here is sort of the finished product not sure what I'm gonna do about the sides. Not perfect but cost me about 15 bucks using up scrap what I had. Little heavier than I wanted. You can see my keeezer in the background. And MyBrown ale which is a lot cloudier which is probably because I didn't use barley. And some grains germinating in the background.

i was looking at it again, started thinking about wether there would be enough air flow going under the bottom rack?

edit: of course some casters would solve that! and make it mobile....

 

[The Mad Brewer]

i was looking at it again, started thinking about wether there would be enough air flow going under the bottom rack?

edit: of course some casters would solve that! and make it mobile....

I could remove the bottom cross brace to let the air go underneath, And move it up

 

[The Mad Brewer]

I could remove the bottom cross brace to let the air go underneath, And move it up

But I do like the idea of casters because if I need to move it upstairs or down it might be a pain

 

[bracconiere]

But I do like the idea of casters because if I need to move it upstairs or down it might be a pain

i find the K.I.S.S. principle is the best when malting your own..the pros may worry about moister content, i get fine results, just getting it wet.

and i don't know how casters will traverse stairs? but looking at what you rigged up in a day i'm sure you could repurpose a treadmill pad as a tank sorta stair crawler!

i admire your tenacity!

 

[The Mad Brewer]

i find the K.I.S.S. principle is the best when malting your own..the pros may worry about moister content, i get fine results, just getting it wet.

and i don't know how casters will traverse stairs? but looking at what you rigged up in a day i'm sure you could repurpose a treadmill pad as a tank sorta stair crawler!

i admire your tenacity!

Walk out basement so I can just wheel it around the outside.

with warm weather coming my basement temp should be 60’s which I may try kilning there. THe nice thing about my Heatpump water heater is it acts a dehumidifyer, con is it Cools the basement, so it will be really dry just cooler. Unless thats too low then casters will be going on sooner and I will be drying upstairs.

 

[bracconiere]

THe nice thing about my Heatpump water heater is it acts a dehumidifyer, con is it Cools the basement, so it will be really dry just cooler.

i'm thinking as long as you've got the air blowing over the grain it could be 40f, and still be dry in a day or two? don't doubt the power of plain simple air flow!

fast air flow albeit....

 

[bracconiere]

Alton Brown's Jerky Episode is what gave me the idea to dry the malt the way i do. food dehydrator could only fit 8lbs of malt, and i brew 10 gallon batches, i'll leave it to your imagination the crazy 'recipies' i was coming up with

 

[bracconiere]

with warm weather coming my basement temp should be 60’s which I may try kilning there.

i want to make sure you know there's two phases to this, drying at low temp. THEN kilning at high temp 160-200f.

the enymes needed for brewing are like spounges. when wet they're pliable and high temp will rip them to shreds. but when dry they're rocks, and although 160f in the oven might seem weird, because heck you're going to boil it at 212 right? dry heat and wet heat create completly different flavors. i still don't really understand why, but it's fact.

 

[The Mad Brewer]

i want to make sure you know there's two phases to this, drying at low temp. THEN kilning at high temp 160-200f.

the enymes needed for brewing are like spounges. when wet they're pliable and high temp will rip them to shreds. but when dry they're rocks, and although 160f in the oven might seem weird, because heck you're going to boil it at 212 right? dry heat and wet heat create completly different flavors. i still don't really understand why, but it's fact.

Thats the plan

 

[bracconiere]

Thats the plan

sorry if i'm talking too much, just excited there's another maltster in the making!